Virus
by Awardwinningsmile
Summary: Ginny is a girl with a very deadly power.Clark must help her before anyone else gets hurt.As their adventure starts Ginny shows Clark his black and white decision. To risk it all or leave Lana in the dark forever.RewriteWithout a Trace. CLana. Third Seasn
1. Chapter 1

**This is a rewrite of my story 'Without a Trace'. I went back a realized i missed a whole lot of plot points. I have worked for a long time on the ending and my take on how Clark would reveal his secret to Lana. So please enjoy and tell me what you think. As always, i do not own Smallville. Awardwinningsmile**

"Just hand it over, please." A girl with long dark red hair was standing over a cashier and his wife her right arm out stretched. "Please, it wont be as bad if you just listen." the girl pleaded again. The man huddled over his wife but shook his head, gripping the key in his hand tighter. "No, you don't understand! I-" A flash of green light erupted out of the girls hand and hit the man and his wife. Their bodies fell limp. "No!" The look of shock on the girls face turned into tears. She turned around, staring into the shadows. "You said- you promised you wouldn't hurt them if I could get the key." She was shaking.

"We don't have the time." A deep voice came from the shadows. "take it from him."

" No, I'm not doing this anymore." said the girl, stepping away from the bodies on the ground; tears still pouring out of her hazel eyes.

A terrible laugh came from the corner. "My dear, you have no choice, or did you forget?" A man or the remains of what used to be a man stepped out of the corner. Even out of the shadows only half of his face was visible the other half was covered in dried blood, and had an empty eye socket.

The man pulled the ripped trench coat tighter around his body. "You have no choice." he repeated.

The girls face contorted into a grimace but she took a step closer to the dead man and then another before she dropped to her knees, and reached out a shaking hand to wrench open the one holding the key. Still crying, the girl slid the key from the cashiers pasty white hand. She looked up to the still shocked open eyed expression on the man's face. Hating herself more by the second.

The man in the corner grinned wickedly as he was handed the key. He limped over to the safe under the front desk and with trouble knelt to unlock it. Just as he was about to open the safe he fell to ground, blood pouring from his skull.

The girl stood over him holding a small, very sharp knife that was covered in blood, trembling with a look of mixed hatred and horror on her face. The man turned his head toward her, unable to focus, "Ginny.." he said feebly before his head dropped again and he drew his last breath.

"I haven't forgotten." Ginny said quietly, still shaking she let the knife drop from her hand. She stood there for only a second before wiping sweat and blood from her face and stepping away from the puddle of crimson red seeping its way across the floor. Pressing the emergency button under the counter on her way out the door, she ran out into the town street littered with news papers labeled the Daily Planet.

* * *

"No way! I'm not wearing it." Clark stood defiantly, holding a red and blue spandex material in his hand.

"Come on, just try it on."

Clark sighed, tired of fighting this matter with Pete, he fumbled to put the tight clothing on over his boxers. He stared in horror at himself in the mirror. "This is your idea of the perfect costume? I'm going to a Halloween dance, not joining the circus."

"You're a superhero. I got it from the costume closest at the high school, it's an old mascot idea. S for Smallville high." Pete said, standing to join Clark in front of the mirror.

Clark studied himself again. The costume had blue arms, legs, and blue torso with a red S on it, and a red cape. It was extremely tight spandex and he could clearly see his bunched up boxers.

"Pete, no superhero would ever wear this. Beside, if it's so great, how come you're not wearing it?"

"It's not my size." Pete shrugged. "Besides, I'm going for more of a prince charming look."

Clark shook his head and attempted to pull the spandex off. he struggled for a bit before falling sideways to the floor. Exasperated, Clark tore the tight clothing off of his body.

"Hey!" Pete stopped laughing. "I was supposed to return that!"

"Sorry Pete," Clark said getting to his feet. "It has a mind of it's own." They both stared down at the torn fabric.

Mrs. Kent stuck her head in Clark;s room. "Pete, your mom just called, she wants you home for dinner."

"Alright, thanks Mrs. Kent. See you later man." Pete patted Clark on the back and followed Martha out of the room.

Clark turned around, pulling on jeans and a blue t-shirt before heading downstairs.

"So how's the costume hunt coming?" Martha Kent asked her son as he walked past her to the fridge.

"I'm not sure I'm going to go to the dance." Clark took out the milk and chugged it from the carton.

His mom slapped him with a dish towel. "How many time do I have to tell you, use a glass."

"Sorry." Clark grinned.

"Anyway, you can't give up so fast, it'll be fun."

"What will be fun?" Jonathan walked into the room.

"The Halloween dance." Clark answered. "What did you wear for yours?"

"Hmm- I went as a prince."

"Great" Clark said unenthusiastically.

"What's wrong with that?" His dad said indignantly.

"Nothing. Except I can't wear something like that unless Pete and I want to pass as Siamese twins."

"You'll figure something out. Martha took the milk carton from Clark and put it back in the refrigerator.

* * *

"Hey, Clark! Pete! Wait up!" 

Clark turned around to see Chloe running towards him down the locker filled hall way of Smallville High, holding a copy of the Daily Planet in one hand and a Styrofoam coffee cup in the other. She dodged around a boy who had dropped his books. "Did you guys hear about what happened over in Grandville on Saturday?" Chloe breathed as she stopped beside him. "A cashier and his wife of a local store, the uh-" She glanced at the paper. "The Dylan's were killed and so was the suspected attacker." She told Clark and Pete's blank looks. "You wanna know the weird part?"

"You mean you haven't told us yet?" Pete said with a look that said he knew they were about to be pulled into another wall of weird story.

Chloe continued, clearly excited about this new mystery. "I looked at the police reports, there were no traces of blood on the victims, that's what really gets me. There is no sign that the Dylan's were murdered. No bullet holes, no signs of struggle. Almost as if they died of old age." Chloe walked over to her computer as they entered the Torch office and reached down to boot it up. "I'm going to see if I can find the medical records. If the autopsies show no poisons, I'm at a loss."

"When did the police find them?" Clark questioned taking the copy of the Planet Chloe was holding.

"Saturday night, somebody pressed the alarm." Chloe said

"Wait, Chloe this says that a knife was found on the scene." Clark pointed at the article.

"Yeah it was used to kill the attacker but the Dylan's weren't cut."

"Did they kill the man then?"

"There was blood all over the knife but none on the victims. Someone else was there but if the police have I.D.ed the finger prints, they're keeping it quiet."

"Definitely one for the wall." Pete chimed in.

Chloe looked up from her computer. "So, on a brighter note, are you two going to the Halloween dance?"

Pete nodded and Clark shrugged. "Either of you have dates yet?" Chloe glanced quickly at Clark.

Pete grinned "I've got someone in mind. And we all know who Clark is going to take." Clark looked at Pete, shifting his backpack to the other shoulder.

"She probably already has a date."

"Who are you kidding?" Pete said. "I bet you anything she's waiting for you to ask her."

Clark shifted his backpack again and studied his zipper.

Chloe took a swig of her coffee. "We should get to class." Chloe said with the air of someone who is changing the subject. She straightened up and grabbed her books. Clark followed her out the door, grateful for the change in subject. "Clark, will you help me with the Dylan's story after class today? I should have the autopsy report by then."

"Sorry Chloe, I told Lana that-"

"That you would help her at the Talon. Yeah. See you later Pete." Chloe sped up and was soon lost in the sea of people. Clark stopped and stared after her in confusion.

"What was that abo-"

"Clark, you know that Chloe has always been a little sensitive about you blowing her off for Lana." Pete gave Clark a wise look.

"Yeah, but it's not like I had promised to do this with her." Clark started walking again. Pete shrugged .

"Catch you later man." Clark lifted his hand up in goodbye then continued down the hall opposite the one Chloe and Pete had gone down.

* * *

"Can you take these to table two?" Lana handed a tray of coffees over to Clark. She leaned against the counter. "You are a lifesaver Clark." She smiled when he came back with an empty tray.

"Well I figure what's the point of having friends if you can't get them to work for free." Clark grinned jokingly.

"Very True. So, how goes the hunt for a costume?"

Clark shook his head. "I don't think costumes are for me." Clark said, remembering the red and blue super hero one.

Lana shrugged. "Well, there are no rules that say you have to have a costume to go." Lana said in a matter of fact tone.

"Are you going with anyone?" Clark asked in a casual way.

The corners of Lana's mouth twitched. "No, not yet."

A bubble appeared in Clark's chest. She didn't have a date. Maybe she was waiting for him to ask her after all. "Lana..." Clark started, mustering his courage "Lana, would you- " At that moment Chloe came banging through the Talon door.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Clark I thought you might like to hear this." Chloe was holding papers in her out stretched hand. Clark took them from her. "The autopsies didn't report any poisons, actually, the Dylan's were completely healthy, aside from the fact that they were dead."

"What are you talking about?" Lana questioned. Chloe filled her in as Clark read the autopsy report. "That means that whoever killed them-"

"Is either rich enough to develop a new way to commit murder, or a meteor freak that has some kind of power to kill without a trace." Clark finished.

* * *

Ginny hid behind the door of Cadmus labs, listening to the scientist inside. "Hopefully this time we have found something that will work." He was talking to a blonde girl who was sitting on a metal table. "Dr. McBride will be here shortly to take you back to Belle Reeve so we don't have very long to test it." The man slipped a blue arm brace on the girl that covered her whole lower arm, from about an inch below her elbow to the middle of her palm, except one hole for her thumb. "The inside is lined with iron so it should keep you steady." he said more to himself than the girl, looking down at his clipboard. "Ok, try to teleport." Ginny was sure she had miss-heard the man but peaked out from her hiding place to get a better look. The girl stared unblinkingly at the man then simply vanished and reappeared about five feet away from the scientist. Ginny gasped and fell from her squatting position. She scrambled onto her hands and knees looking to see if the scientist had heard her. Luckily, he had slammed his clipboard onto the table at same moment. "Damn! I thought we had it this time." The girl gave him a broken smile but didn't say anything.

"Ah, Alicia, how are you doing?" Another man had entered the room from the door opposite Ginny.

"Things are not progressing as fast as we had hoped Doctor McBride. We haven't been able to find a way to distribute the iron properly. She can still teleport. It seems she would need to be covered in it to stop her from using her power." Said the scientist handing over his clipboard.

"Well, we will just have to try something else." Dr. McBride sighed as he ran his eyes over the clipboard. "Let me know when you have come up with something else." he handed back the clip board and took Alicia by the arm, taking off the wrap and laying it on the table. "Come on, time to go, good day Mr. Thatch."

"Good day." Thatch stood, making notes on his charts for a minute, then headed out the same door that Alicia and the doctor had gone. Ginny stood up carefully brushing the dirt of the back of the jacket she had tied around her waist over her worn jeans. She looked around to making sure that no one else was there then walked as fast as she could without making her sneakers squeak to the metal table where the blue brace was. She looked around again then picked up the brace, feeling the inside of it.

"Iron lined." she murmured and slipped the wrap over her right arm. Ginny flexed her fingers then held up her arm, aiming at nothing in particular. She never had to really aim. She screwed up her face in concentration, focusing on her arm. She stood there for minutes putting all energy into her concentration, sweat beaded on her forehead. She could feel it starting, first a tingling then burning. Finally Ginny let out a whine of pain and a flash came out of her palm. Come on, please keep It in. Ginny smiled in triumph as the light shrunk until it was just a glow under the wrap and the burning died away. She sighed and sunk to her knees, lowering her hand. Ginny massaged the palm of the wrapped hand, breathing hard. It worked! Ginny looked around. Nothing was damaged, the brace had stopped It. A drop of blood fell onto her jeans. She brought the back of her hand to her nose. She felt blood and whipped it off with the bottom of her black tank top. Ginny looked down at the brace. Smiling, she got to her feet, leaning against the table to regain her strength.

"Hey!" Ginny jumped up like a startled deer and turned around to face Dr. Thatch. "Your not supposed to be in here!" The Doctor rushed forward, Ginny dodged but held her foot out causing him to stumble, then kicked out with her other foot hitting him square in the back. He slid a few feet into the wall. He tried to get up right away but was so disoriented that he dropped back to the floor. Ginny stood there for a second ashen faced before running out the door she had hidden behind which lead out of the building. She ran as fast as she could across the pavement. The alarm sounded behind her as she climbed the high metal fence and kept running.

* * *

Clark sat down at the table and started to poke food into his mouth with a fork. "You've been awfully quiet Clark, what's going on?" Martha Kent looked up from the bills that piled up in front of her.

"There was a murder in Grandville that I'm helping Chloe figure out." That was partly true, but most of his quietness was due to the fact he hadn't yet managed to ask a certain coffee house owner to be his date.

"Now I don't want you kids getting mixed up in a murder investigation." Jonathan pointed a forkful of chicken at Clark.

"Don't worry dad, I'm not going to put myself on the police's radar." Clark said stuffing his own fork into his mouth. "Anyway, I've got a load of homework, so I'll be up in the loft if anyone needs me. He scrapped the last bit of potato off his plate and put it in the sink on his way out the door.

Clark climbed the stairs to the loft and made his way over to the couch. He leaned back and took a breath before reaching into his backpack for his books. Clark laid them out on the table before heading over to the small desk to find a pencil. Clark squatted down to rummaged for a pencil then stopped when he heard movement in the corner. He looked side ways at the spot the noise had come from and stood up, and walked quietly over to the corner. Clark pulled off a sheet that had been loosely hanging over some old boxes, revealing a girl huddled in between them. She scooted back into the wall looking scared. Clark took a step back in surprise. The girl had dark red hair and dirt all over, dried blood streak from her nose across her pale face. She could be no older than fourteen. Not wanting to scare the girl, Clark spoke softly. "Hi. Who are you?" The girl opened her mouth but nothing came out. Clark held out his hand for her. The girl looked at it, then back at Clark's face. "Don't be afraid." Clark said soothingly. The girl opened her mouth again and spoke slowly.

"I'm hiding." She said in no more than a whisper, eyes wide. Clark thought that that was apparent. She looked so scared.

"It's ok." Clark said softly. She took his hand and he helped her up and lead her out of the corner. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Ginny." The girl said stronger than her last words.

"Who are you hiding from Ginny?" Clark asked. Ginny looked at him, shook her head and backed towards the stairs. "Please, Maybe I can help." Clark took a step forward. Ginny shook her head more vigorously.

"No... you don't want to.." Ginny started coughing, then fell to her hands and knees, and vomited. She slumped to the floor and fell unconscious.

"Ginny?" Clark ran over to her and checked her pulse before picking her up. "Mom! Dad!" Clark picked Ginny up gently in his arms and sped back to the house.

* * *

"How is she?" Clark and his parents were standing outside a hospital room talking to the doctor. 

"She was dehydrated, now that she has gotten fluids in her she should be fine with a bit of rest." The doctor looked toward the hospital room she had just come from. Ginny was sitting up on the bed having her lungs listened to. "We don't see dehydration like hers very often around here. I have to ask you again, do you have any idea were she has been or where her parents are?" All three Kent's shook their heads.

"She just kind of turned up on our farm." Mr. Kent stated. Clark looked back into the room. The nurse was now trying to take off the brace Ginny had on her arm but she wouldn't let the nurse touch it.

"Where is she going to stay?" Clark intervened in the conversation. The doctor sighed.

"Until we find her parents or a foster home Ginny will have to stay in the juvenile detention center."

"Mom, we can't leave her there." Clark turned to face his mother. He knew she was a sucker for strays. Martha nodded.

"Ginny can stay with us."

The doctor smiled approvingly. "That would be much appreciated I'm sure, thank you."

Jonathan sighed then chuckled.

"Why does this all seem so familiar." Clark smiled, knowing why his father found all this funny. He remembered the last kid that they had found and had taken in. Ryan had been very special.

* * *

"Thank you Mr. And Mrs. Kent, I appreciate it." Ginny stepped inside the Kent's house looking around. 

"It's our pleasure Ginny. I know you talked to the doctors, but are you sure there is nothing you can tell us?" Martha urged. Ginny smiled politely but didn't say anything. After a few seconds Martha broke the silence. "Well, you can sleep in Clark's room, it's up this-"

"Oh, no Mrs. Kent, I'll be fine on the couch I don't want to put anyone out." She glanced quickly towards Clark.

"Oh, It's fine just-."

"No really, please. I could use a shower though." She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Of course. Up the stairs and to the left, we'll find some new clothes for you tomorrow." Martha looked at Ginny's dirty shirt and jeans.

Ginny nodded and headed up the stairs. When they heard the bathroom door close Martha turned to Clark and Jonathan.

"Poor girl, she hasn't lost her memory, she just doesn't want to tell us." She shrugged and walked to the hall closet and pulled out blankets for the couch.

"She said she was hiding." Clark leaned against the kitchen table. "When I found her up in the loft she said she was hiding from someone."

"Who would be chasing a fourteen year old girl?" Jonathan said, helping Martha straighten the blankets.

Clark shrugged. "I'll wait up and make sure she gets settled." Clark reached for a book that was sitting on the kitchen table labeled 'Supernatural'.

"Ok, tell her that if she's hungry she can help herself to anything in the fridge." Martha kissed her son goodnight and headed up the stairs with her husband. Clark sat down at the table and opened his book, skimming the pages to find where he had left off. A few minutes later Ginny came down the stairs. Clark looked up. ⌠Hey, my mom set out some blankets for you on the couch. Oh, and our fridge is your fridge." He grinned broadly at her. Ginny nodded and walked towards the couch, when she got there she turned around.

"Thank you Clark. Not many people would invite strangers that appeared in their barn into their homes." Her look was serious

"Think nothing of it." he looked at Ginny for a moment. "So, what's up with the brace? Did you hurt your arm?" Ginny's hand went instinctually to the palm of her other one. She nodded.

"I guess you can say that." Clark looked at her, his green eyes filled with concern.

"You know, we can't help you find your parents if you don't tell us what happened." Ginny wouldn't meet his gaze.

"There's no one to find. They died. In a car crash when I was eleven." Ginny's eyes were shining softly when she looked up. "I didn't want to say anything because-. there are just some things people are better off not knowing about me." Clark understood why she didn't want people knowing her parents had died. People would give her the same look they gave him when he said he was adopted.

"Where are your real parents?" Ginny asked as if she had read his mind.

Clark raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How did you know?"

"You look nothing like the Kents." Ginny grinned, then seemed to pick her words carefully. "and I see it in your eyes. They're like mine."

Clark's stomach tightened. "I don't know what happened to my real parents." Which was the truth. Kind of. Clark changed the subject. He could see from the look on Ginny's face that she was about to question him more and he really didn't want to lie to her. "Where have you been since it happened?"

Clark studied Ginny's face, trying to read her expression. Her mouth twitched downwards slightly before she put on the blankest look Clark had ever seen.

"Thanks again Clark." Ginny said, she sat down on the couch.

Clark frowned. She looked just like Lex did when he wasn't being honest.

"The offer for my bed is still open." Clark said as Ginny lay down and pulled wet hair off her back.

"That's ok, I think I can fit on the couch better then you anyway." She pulled the covers over herself so only her shoulders and head were visible and closed her eyes, slamming the door on their conversation.

Clark frowned again, but put his book in his backpack and left to go upstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey Clark. Who's this?" Lana greeted Clark and Ginny from behind the counter as they made their way through the Talon.

"This is Ginny." Clark laid his hand on Ginny's shoulder, which was an easy task since she was about a foot shorter than him. "She's a….." Clark took a breath. "A friend. She's staying at our house for a while."

"Well, nice to meet you Ginny, I'm Lana." Lana smiled and held out her hand. Ginny smiled back and pulled at the blue brace before shaking Lana's hand.

"Hi."

Lana let go and nodded. "Is there anything I can get you two?'

Clark half smiled. "A coffee and some clothes would be great." Lana looked up at Clark, confused. Clark cleared his throat. "Ginny is kind of short on clothes at the moment. We were wondering if she could borrow some." Lana glanced at Ginny then back at Clark who gave her a meaningful look. Lana took her cue and didn't question him.

"Sure. The pants might be a little long but no problem. Clark, you can get the coffee yourself and Ginny, follow me." Lana motion for Ginny . "Stephanie, will you cover for me?" A girl with short blonde hair looked up from the table she was serving and nodded.

Clark watched the two girls disappear up the stairs before moving behind the counter and pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Clark!" Clark looked up to see Pete walking towards him. "Hey, I called your house, your parents said you were over here with Ginny?" Pete looked around energetically as he walked over and leaned on the counter.

"So?" Clark questioned taking a gulp from his cup.

"So…" Pete looked incredulously at Clark. "So, who's Ginny? Is she some one I should know about." Pete raised his eyebrows.

The wheels in Clarks head turned slowly as he figured out what Pete meant. Realization dawned on Clark and he rolled his eyes. "Ginny is a fourteen year old girl." Clark explained. "She showed up in the barn last night."

Pete looked slightly put out. "How'd she get there?"

Clark shook his head. "She's hiding from someone but wont say who."

Pete laughed ironically. "Well she must not be from Smallville." Clark looked at Pete quizzically. "If she was from Smallville and had anything to hide she wouldn't have chosen your barn as a safe haven," Pete answered his unasked question.

"Why not?" Clark asked.

Pete grinned. "Come on Clark, the sheriff has visited your house more than anybody else's. Well, except for Stan on the corner street. They're still trying to bust him for drugs."

The door to the apartment opened and Clark looked up. Lana appeared, laughing and holding the door open for Ginny who was holding 2 pairs of jeans and a few shirts and was also laughing. They tried to compose themselves as they headed down the stairs. Clark was slightly alarmed by the pair.

"What's so funny?" He questioned apprehensively, tilting his head to the side as the girls reached the bottom of the stairs. Ginny and Lana looked at Clark then burst out laughing again. Clark gave them a side ways glance and took another swig of his coffee. _Ginny and Lana sure have made friends quickly._

Lana stifled her laughter once again and looked abruptly at Clark with a mock serious look on her face. "Do you have any cheetos? Lana questioned with concern then broke into another laughing fit. Ginny followed suit.

Clark looked at the two of them like they had definitely gone insane, which he figured they must have. "Cheetos?" He had to admit though, it was a nice sight. He hadn't seen Lana laugh like that in a long time.

"Are you ok? Clark questioned, determined not to laugh himself. Lana and Ginny let out a fresh laugh and Clark smiled in spite of himself. He decided to wait until they had stopped laughing before trying to resume conversation.

"Ok…" Pete said in a tone that one would use around the insane. "Well, Chloe sent me out to find you, and I did, but since I have no idea what she wanted me to do with you when I did that, I will see you all later." Pete bid them goodbye and departed.

Lana and Ginny finally got themselves under control and Clark felt it was safe to speak again. "Ok, well we better head home, is there anything you want before we go?" Ginny shook her head still smiling. Clark nodded. "Thanks Lana. See you later."

"Thanks for the clothes." Ginny lifted up the pile in her arms.

Lana cracked a smile. "No problem, see you around." Lana giggled and shook her head, turning around to clean the counter behind her.

"What was that about?" Clark slid into the drivers seat of the car. Ginny sat down next to him in the passengers chair.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ginny mimed confusion but the look on her face told Clark otherwise.

"Well either Lana has gone insane or… what did you say to her?" Clark started the engine as he ran through in his mind all the possible things that living in his house might entitle Ginny to say.

"Oh that. Well," Ginny grinned wickedly "I was just wondering who had given you those rather bright pair of cheeto boxers."

Clark looked around at Ginny in alarm then remembered that he was driving and turned back. "I'm going to kill Lois." Clark grumbled.

"Who's Lois?" Ginny questioned still smirking.

"Well, I don't actually know her." Clark explained "But I'm sure if I did I wouldn't like her. She's my friend Chloe's cousin. She's the one who convinced Chloe to get those for my birthday as a joke."

Ginny giggled. "I saw them in the laundry. I think they're cute." Ginny quipped. Clark sidled another glance at her.

"I'm sure Lana appreciates her new found knowledge of my boxers." Clark answered sarcastically.

"I think she does." Ginny smiled broadly at Clark. They lapsed into silence as the car moved down a dirt road. "You really like her don't you?" Ginny asked after a while.

"Lana?" Clark kept his eyes on the road. "What gave you that idea?"

Ginny shrugged. "You're no good at hiding your feelings. I saw the way you looked at her."

Clark swallowed but didn't answer. He pulled the car to a stop at the Kent farm and both of them got out. Ginny walked over to Clark's side of the car. "Look, I don't know anything about your relationship, but I do know that there is nothing worse than a missed opportunity." She looked at him sincerely for a second then turned around and headed for the house. Clark stood on the spot. _What did a 14 year old girl know about love? _Clark shrugged to himself. He took a step towards the house but stopped when he heard a car coming up the drive way. It was Chloe's green buggy.

"Clark, I've been trying to reach you all day. Pete is not the brightest side kick. I heard about …Ginny right? Another stray huh?" Chloe said as she closed the door behind her.

Clark smiled. "It seem to be a gift of ours."

Chloe nodded. "It does, doesn't it? But getting to the reason I'm here, they identified the 'attackers' body. His name was Evan Cortes, he worked at Cadmus labs."

"Why would he be interested in robbery?" Clark asked.

"Why does anyone who works for Lex feel the need to point guns at people? Before he died he was working on a top secret project which to my best guess-"

"Was a way to kill people without leaving any signs." Clark said in realization.

"Exactly. That's where the interesting part comes in. The doctors found a chip in Cortes' head." Chloe said with excitement.

"What does it do?"

"They couldn't figure it out, but.. they found traces of red meteor rock."

"Do you think it gave him the power to-"

"Maybe. It wouldn't be the first time the meteor rocks produced something dangerous."

"But that still doesn't solve how he died." Clark continued.

"There was someone else there remember? Cortes was killed with a knife so whoever did it was most likely not involved in the project."

"So it's just a random person?"

"I don't think so. This person didn't stick around for an award from the police. They might have been in some sort of trouble."

"You're dealing with a lot of maybes."

"I'm not finished. The day after the murder there was a break in at Cadmus labs. I'm thinking the murder and the break in are connected."

Clark was catching on. "Cortes had an accomplice in the robberies."

Chloe smiled at her detective work. "Right."

_

* * *

_

_"_Can I help with that?" Ginny stood in front of Martha Kent who had just finished clearing the table.

"I'm done, but if you want to you can help Clark clean stalls out in the barn." Martha said with a smile. Ginny had been badgering her all day to give her things to do.

Clark entered the room tossing an apple in the air. He stopped and gave his mother a meaningful look. Ginny didn't seem to notice.

"Great, I lived on a farm when I was little, I used to help my mom out." Ginny smiled and headed for the open front door.

When Clark was sure she was out of ear shot he turned to his mom. "Mom, I can't do the stalls at super speed while she's there."

Martha looked blankly at Clark.. "Well I thought that it would be safer to not use your powers at all when there's any chance of Ginny seeing, so you could use some help to make it go faster."

Clark sighed, a little frustrated but headed out to the barn after Ginny. When he got out there Ginny already had a wheel barrow sitting in front of a stall. She had rolled up the sleeve of Lana's lavender shirt and was forking dirty hay when Clark entered. "Looks like you know what you're doing." Clark marveled at her progress.

Ginny nodded. "At the barn my parents worked at there were 50 stalls so you had to work fast."

Clark let out a short laugh. He turned around to get his own wheelbarrow and pitch fork, when he turned around the pitch fork Ginny was holding had clattered to the ground. Ginny had a look of terror on her face. Clarks heart beat rose. "Are you ok Ginny?"

Ginny's left hand flung to her right arm and she doubled over, letting out a scream of pain. Still bent over she brought her right hand close to her face and stared at it. Clark realized why when he saw a faint green light had started to shine from under Ginny's blue wrap. Ginny looked from her hand to Clark's face in alarm. She ran from the stall and past Clark out into the yard.

Clark immediately followed her, his heart beating rapidly. He ran out into the yard and looked around. He couldn't see her but then his eyes fell on the open door of the storm cellar. Clark sped to the door, his heart racing. He started to take a step down the stairs but a green light blinded him and he was thrown back a few feet. Clark sat up staring at the cellar doors. He stumbled to his feet and ran down the steps. "Ginny!" he yelled. _Please let her be alright, let her not have seen…_ Clarks eyes adjusted to the light and he looked around frantically. His eyes stopped on the ship who's cover must have been blown off and then to Ginny. Ginny stood just feet away from the uncovered ship staring at it in disbelief. Clark tried to move forward but it seemed like his legs had forgotten how to carry him. Ginny turned slowly to face Clark, blood dripped from her nose and she held the blue wrap in her left hand.

"I thought that there must be something different about you Clark." She talked just as slowly as she had turned. "You do things too fast. It doesn't take as long as it should, and how fast I got to the hospital…" Ginny squinted, her eyebrows furrowed. "Your not even human…are you?"

Clark stood stunned. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He tried again "Are you OK? What happened?"

Ginny just stared at him. The blood from her nose dripped into her mouth which seem to wake her up. She nodded but still stared without blinking at Clark, wiping the blood from her lips.

" You- you can't tell anyone. Please, it's important that you don't." Clark pleaded. Ginny didn't say anything.

Clark stood in waiting silence until Ginny spoke. "You can trust me Clark." She kept staring at him. "I wont tell anyone. I know what it's like to have a secret." She turned her back on Clark to look at the ship.

"That's why I'm going to ask you to do the same for me." Ginny turned back around to face Clark again. At this moment she looked much older than the small, teenaged girl she was.

When she spoke she spoke with a weary voice. "When I was eleven my parents were driving me home to our house in Grandville from a Karate competition in Smallville. It was wet, and the car crashed into a tree. " Ginny paused. "My little sister and I were sent to an orphanage after that. Then a year ago my sister and I were playing outside and I put up my hand to stop her running into me." Ginny paused again taking a deep breath. "I got this headache and I couldn't move my arm. There was this flash of light… and she was dead. Ginny looked down.

"The doctors couldn't find any reason why she should have died but I knew that some how I had done it." She sniffed. "It's happened more times than I can count. Most of the times I've been alone, but sometimes not. I've tried to control it but I can't, not really." Tears slipped down her face.

Clark's eyes widened. "It was you who killed those people." Ginny looked up tears now falling consistently from her eyes.

Ginny continued like she hadn't heard." I was so afraid." Her voice broke as she talked. "I couldn't touch anyone, or be around anyone without there being a chance of someone ending up dead. Then _**he**_ came. Cortes said he could help me control it. I was so scared…..so I went with him. He brought me to Cadmus labs. They experimented on me and did tests. I don't remember most of it.

Her voice broke. Ginny shuddered, looking down once more.

"Instead of helping me control it he some how gained control over my powers. He could make me kill. Cortes told me that if I didn't help him he would use me to kill everyone I ever cared about and that there was no way to escape him. He made me kill for money." she sobbed. " But having control over my powers came with a price. He was falling apart and getting worse all the time. So he needed more money, and more people died. I tried so many times to keep it from happening.

She paused and took a deep breath.

"I killed him in Grandville. It was the only way." Ginny's voice filled with hatred even as she sobbed harder. "For my sister, for all those people he killed ...for using me to do it."

She backed into the dusty wall and sunk to the floor, her back taking the dust with it. Before speaking again she took a steadying breath but tears still rolled down her cheeks. "I went back to Cadmus labs, if anything could help me, I thought it would be there. That's were I found this." Ginny flopped the brace around in the air. "It's lined with iron, and that's the one thing that my…power," She scoffed at the word. "can't penetrate. Or at least I thought it couldn't." She fell silent.

Clark knelt beside Ginny and pulled her small body into his embrace.

"I never wanted to hurt anybody." her cries were muffled by Clark's chest.

"I know." Clark sighed. "I know." He held her closer. It wasn't her fault, that was an awful thing to have to deal with. When Ginny had stopped crying he loosened his embrace and she looked up at him. Clark brushed the tangled hair from her face. She shook when she took a deep breath.

"It's not working Clark." She said in distress. "My arm, it started to burn, I had to take the wrap off. It helped before but now it almost seems to be fighting to get out."

Ginny seemed to recover a bit and wiped the blood from her face with the sleeve of her shirt then looked down at it. "I don't think Lana will want this back." Ginny gave a weak smile then pulled away from Clark and shivered. She slid the brace back on and pulled the fabric of the shirt over her hands as she stood up. Clark mimicked her and stood as well. "It's getting cold."

"Yeah." Clark said in agreement even though he was wearing a t-shirt and wasn't cold at all.


	3. Chapter 3

Clark sat down at the kitchen table and took a deep breath before picking up the phone. Time to get this over with. Ring. It rang three times.

"Hello?" Lana's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hi, it's Clark."

"Hey, what's up?" Lana sounded curious, after all Clark didn't call her much since they saw each other almost every day.

"Uh…" Clark gathered his courage. "I was thinking that, I know it's last minute but do you have a date to the Halloween dance?"

"No."

"Well, I was thinking that we could go together." There was silence on the other end. "Lana?"

"As dates?"

"Well, yeah." Clark's courage was fading. "If you don't want to that's ok."

"No," Lana interrupted. "I would love to go to the dance with you."

Clarks heart skipped a beat. "Great!"

"Just promise me you'll be there."

Clark wasn't surprised. He had a history of not showing up. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Clark said goodbye and put down the phone. Clark felt like he was walking on air as he made his way over to the couch which he flopped down on. Clark smiled and closed his eyes.

"That's my bed remember." A voice came from above him. Clark opened his eyes to see Ginny looking down at him.

"I know." Clark sat up.

"You haven't told your parents have you?" Ginny sat down next to him. She was referring to their conversation in the cellar.

"No. I wont tell them about your power if you don't want me to, but they've notified child services about your parents." Clark said.

Ginny sighed. "I know. So what's going to happen to me now? Can I stay here?'

"I wish it was that easy but my parents aren't your legal guardians.." He looked over at Ginny.

She sat still. "I wish I could stay. It's the closest I've been to having a family since…." She broke off.

Clark nodded sadly. "You should get to sleep." He rose and headed up the stairs. The days events reeled around in his head as he closed his bedroom door behind him, stripped down to his boxers and climbed into his cool bed.

"_Lana! Lana, where are you?" Clark found himself walking through the empty red and yellow halls of the high school._

"_Clark…" Clark turned on the heels of his bare feet to see were the faint noise had come from. He heard it again stronger than the last. "Clark.." A closet door to Clark's left started to shake violently. "Clark…" The dark haired boy walked cautiously over to the door with an out stretched hand. Before he could touch the metal knob the door flung open revealing a woman surrounded by fog. Clark squinted, trying to focus on the figure. Clark's features turned to shock and he back away from the open closet as it became all to clear who the woman was. Lana Lang walked out from the fog, face mangled and bleeding all over the white lace of her dress. "Clark, it's your fault." The version of Lana held out a green rock. Clark backed into the wall, suddenly feeling sick, the lockers made a dull thud as his body hit them. His knees buckled and he fell to the floor. Clark felt soft dirt beneath him and look around. He was at the Smallville grave yard. Clark scrabbled to his feet, trying to see through the thick fog._

"_All this time." Clark wheeled around to face Lex who had his hands in the pockets of his trench coat. "All this time, and you never trusted me, I'm your friend!" Lex's emotion quickly turned to anger. "You'll pay!" Lex lunged at Clark who ducked. When Clark stood up straight he was alone again. _

"_How could you?" This time Clark turned to face a Lana who was standing in front of him with tears streaming down her face on to a black dress. "I trusted you, I loved you, and you pushed me away. We could have been happy if you had just told me! I don't know who you are." _

"_Lana," Clark started franticly. "I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you…" The rest of his words were lost in a breath of wind that stung Clark's eyes to the point were he had to look away. When he picked his head up he was alone was again once more. "Lana!" Clark ran forward. "Lana!" He tripped on a head stone and fell to the ground._

Clark sat up with a jolt sending the blankets around him flying. He was drenched in sweat. Clark ran both hands through his damp hair, and left the warmth of his bed for the sink in the bathroom. He lifted his cupped hand to his face feeling cool water run over it. He shook so that the tips of his hair dangled in his eyes. His face looked pale in the mirror. Clark looked out the small window opposite the sink. He could see the beginnings of dawn peaking over the tree tops. It would be no use going back to sleep, he didn't want to go back to that dream anyway. As quietly as he could Clark returned to his room and slipped on sweat pants and a t-shirt, then crept down the stairs. He reached the door and tried to keep it from slamming as he walked through. Clark turned around looking over the fields that had a blanket a mist covering them. Clark closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air.

"Clark?" Clark spun around to see Ginny standing in front of him. "I didn't mean to scare you. Is everything ok? I heard a lot of noise coming from your room."

Clark sighed. "Everything's fine, I'm just a little jumpy."

Ginny nodded and passed him to sit on the swinging bench. She nestled into the cushions. "I couldn't sleep either." Clark watched her stare out towards the barn. "Do you ever think about them?" Ginny asked after a moment, still staring at the barn. "Your birth parents I mean."

Clark nodded slowly. "All the time. I wonder what my life would have been like if they hadn't sent me away." Ginny wrapped her arms around her knees as Clark continued. "I know another person who knows what it's like to lose her parents."

"Lana?" Ginny looked towards Clark.

Clark lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "How do you do that?"

Ginny shrugged. "The eyes." She said simply. "Does Lana know about you?"

Clark dug his hands into the pockets of his flannel pants and looked back towards the fields which were now filled with a soft golden light.

"She'd want to know."

Clark blinked. "You know what it's like to be different, you know that people would never look at you the same if they knew."

"You don't think she would except you. You're afraid."

Clark turned abruptly to gaze at the small girl. He opened his mouth to protest but Ginny beat him to it.

"Clark, your relationships can't grow without truth, and truth involves change. Your afraid of change. You have so many fears, and fears keep you from living." Ginny shook her head, sending loose strands of hair flying. "The only thing to fear is fear it's self."

"Theodore Roosevelt." Clark smiled. It amazed him how wise she could seem at times.

Ginny smiled in return. "Yeah." By now the sun had risen fully into the sky and the rest of the house had started to wake. They could hear noise from the kitchen and somebody walking down the stairs.

"Come on." Clark motioned to Ginny. " We need to get ready for school."

"We?" Ginny asked, standing up and stretching.

"My mom thought it would be a good idea for you to sit in on some of the freshman classes while you're here." Clark said with a hasty grin.

"Remind me to thank her." Ginny grumbled as she tramped into the house behind Clark.

* * *

"Do you need to me go to the principals office with you?" Clark turned to face Ginny right outside the doors to the high school.

"Clark, I've been through a lot worse than high school," she reminded him. " I think I can handle it." Ginny stated confidently though she looked less confident than she sounded. She straightened the forest green tank top she was wearing.

"Ok, my mom already got this all straightened out so he should be expecting you."

Ginny nodded and shrugged Clark's old backpack over her shoulder before following him into the building.

"The office is that way." Clark pointed down a hall way. "I'll see you at lunch." Clark watched Ginny shuffle through the crowd of people most of which were taller than her, until she was out of sight. He then headed down a different hall way, stopping at his locker to gather books for his first period class.

"Hey mystery man." Chloe appeared next to Clark.

"Hey." Clark shut his locker. "Have you found out anything more on the Grandville murder?" He asked apprehensively. Now that he knew Cortes' accomplice was Ginny he needed to keep Chloe off the case. Which meant more lies.

"No. It's going to require some tip top sleuthing to get the records from that day. "

Clark knew what she was thinking. "Chloe, is this important enough to break in to Cadmus? I don't want you to get caught."

"Come on Clark." Chloe rolled her eyes. "It's not like I haven't done it before. If I solve this case, it would be the story of a life time."

"Is it worth your life?" Clark retorted more abruptly than he had meant to.

"I thought you'd be with me on this. What's wrong?" she demanded.

"Nothing."

Chloe shook her head. "It's never nothing Clark." With that she stalked away.

* * *

"Hey, how has your day been going?" Clark questioned as light heartedly as he could. Ginny joined him at the table, slamming her lunch down.

"I don't get why they are called princi-pals. It makes them sound so friendly." Ginny slumped down in the chair across from Clark. "He lectured me for 30 minutes on being a guest in the school, and how he expects me to behave and bla, bla, bla." She added hand puppet gestures to the last bit of her sentence.

"Really?" Clark said with an amused grin. "How did you manage to get away in such a good mood?"

"I stuck some gum on his chair, and watched him walk out of the room with it on his butt."

Clark stifled a laugh but nearly spit out his drink in doing so.

"What's so funny?" Pete sat down next to Clark.

Clark just grinned at Ginny.

Pete's attention was not on the question anyway. "Hi Ginny. Clark, have you seen Chloe? There's something I want to ask her"

Clark's smile faded. "Not since this morning."

Ginny looked over at Clark's watch. "I should get going, I've found that you are actually expected to find your classes on time so I'm going to give myself a head start." She took a bite of her hamburger and stood up and brushed off the back of her old faded jeans before heading out of the cafeteria, hair swishing energetically behind her.

"I'll help you find Chloe." Clark started to get up but Pete bolted out of his seat.

"It's ok, I'll find her myself." Pete pushed on Clarks shoulders trying to get him back in the chair.

"What's going on Pete?" Clark questioned, not even noticing Pete's tries to get him to sit down.

Pete stopped his futile attempts. "Nothing, I just need to talk to her alone."

"Are you ok?" Clark said with a worried look. Pete didn't answer, he was already half way to the cafeteria door. Clark watched him leave with a quizzical look on his face, then picked his bag off the ground and made to throw his trash away.

"Dude, you know her?" Clark turned to see Reese O'Neil, a short, stocky sophomore that Clark had tutored the year before, standing next to him.

"Hey Reese, I know who?" Clark looked down at the shorter boy.

Reese gave him a wide eyed glance. "Little red head."

"Oh Ginny, yeah I know her." Clark said.

Reese licked his lips. "You think you could introduce me?"

Clark looked incredulously down at the sandy haired boy. "No, I don't think so." Clark's voice had become stiff.

"Why not?" Reese said with a pout.

"Look, Ginny is like a little sister to me, and truthfully I don't want you anywhere near her."

Reese's pout became clearer. "Forget it, I don't need your help." Reese sidled past Clark but didn't make it very far before Clark grabbed his arm. The boy fought his grip but to no effect.

"I said stay away from her." Clark said in a threatening voice before letting go. Reese goggled at him. Clark was confident as he walked out of the lunch room that Reese would not bother his little sister . Clark caught himself. _No, not little sister, she's going to be gone in a day or two…just like Ryan. _Clark's mood did not improve with this thought. Clark trudged through the hallways until he found himself at the Torch. Pete was there, talking to Chloe who was smiling. Chloe laughed then her sight fell on Clark and she stopped but a smile still held on her face. She murmured something in Pete's ear and he nodded. Pete stood up and walked to the door, he seemed to be in a very good mood and patted Clark on the shoulder as he passed him.

"What's made you two so happy?"

"Why do you care?" Chloe answered stiffly, the smile had faded from her face.

Clark shifted his bag uncomfortably. She was obviously mad about this morning. "Look Chloe, I'm sorry but-"

"I accept." Chloe interrupted.

Clark was stunned. "Just like that?"

Chloe shrugged. "I know you have your reasons Clark but I can tell when your being less than truthful." Chloe looked up. "After all the chances you've given me, I can at least give you the same."

Clark sighed in relief. The last thing he wanted was to be fighting with Chloe again.

"But you know I can't just forget about a story like this. I'm still going to investigate it, but I wont ask you for help."

Clark considered this for a moment. There was really no stopping her so he nodded slowly.

"So." Chloe said as she returned to her never ending job of being an editor. "Have you figured out the costume thing yet?"

"I'm not going to wear a costume."

Chloe looked up from her computer. "Won't that be kind of weird, you'd be the only one without a costume? You'll find something Clark. What did you wear last year?"

Clark shook his head. "I didn't go last year."

Chloe nodded humorously. "Have you ever been trick or treating?"

"When I was a kid.." Clark answered. "The last time I went I was a pirate."

Chloe choked on a laugh. "Clark Kent hoarding swag…"

Clark rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the help Chloe." He bid her goodbye as he walked out the door of the school newspaper. Clark turned the corner running straight into Lana. Books spilled out of her arms and all over the tiled school hall.

"Sorry Lana, I wasn't paying attention." Clark apologized as he helped pick her books up off the floor.

"It's fine." Lana took her books back. "I'm really excited about the dance tonight." she smiled.

Clark smiled, feeling very warm. "Me too. I was thinking I would pick you up at 8?

Lana gave him a sweet smile, the one that always made his insides squirm. "Sounds good." They stared at each other for a minute, Clark could see her fumbling with the zipper of her blue corduroy jacket. "I've got to go." Lana said awkwardly after a moment and touched his hand as she slid past him continuing down the hall. Clark shivered. The spot where her fingers had been tingled. They had been friends for nearly 3 years, he should be past the butterfly stage, but it was always like that with Lana. Even after all they've been through, it never changed. Clark headed off in the opposite direction, hoping against all odds that this time things would work out.

* * *

Clark woke the next morning with excitement. This time there were no complicated stories going on, no meteor induced psycho paths. Nothing to keep this day from going right. Clark jumped out of bed, he wasn't usually a morning person but today he felt as though he was stock full of caffeine.

"You're certainly perky this morning." Ginny greeted him as he jumped the last couple steps down the stairs. She still looked asleep with her hair falling un-combed around her face. Clark just smiled broadly at her and grabbed a muffin. He ate quickly so he could get his chores done as soon as possible.

"I still need to find a costume for tonight." Clark said through a mouthful of muffin. "You think you can help?" He swallowed and grabbed the milk carton from the table and brought it to his lips but seemed to think better of it and got out a glass. Ginny looked at him blankly while her sleepy mind tried to comprehend his question.

"Sure" She finally answered. "Would you?" Ginny held up a piece of bread. Clark nodded, heat shot from his eyes until the bread was golden brown. She dropped the piece of toast, muttering curse words under her breath, sucking on her singed finger tips. Clark smiled and tousled her hair on his way out the door which put a scowl on her face and a balled up towel flying in his direction. Clark super-sped away from the house before the towel could make contact.

* * *

"Ok, so lets see what we have." A much more alert Ginny made her way through Clark's closet. "Plaid, plaid, and, oh look! More plaid. Honestly, is concept of t-shirts lost on you?" Ginny sorted through the shirts with distain.

"I have some t-shirts!"

"Yes, but who gets to see them? The cows?"

"Lana has seen-"

Ginny held up her hand.

"Ok, back on topic." She stood thinking for a second then her eye fell upon a leather jacket. "You own one of these?" Ginny took the jacket of it's hanger.

Clark grimaced, remembering the red kryptonite filled ring that had played a part in getting the jacket. "It's a long story."

She made a face. "I don't want to know." She put the jacket back. Ginny turned her attention to a wood dresser in the corner of the room. Something caught her eye. "Nice glasses." She picked up the Raybands

Clark had worn during the short time he had been blind. "Take these." Ginny thrust the glasses at him then went back to his closet. She took out dress pants, a black t-shirt, and a blue blazer which she held out for Clark to take.

He lifted the clothes from her hands. "What am I supposed to be?"

Ginny shrugged. "If anyone asks just say Stevie Wonder."

Clark looked down at the fabric in his hands. It was better than nothing. "Thanks Ginny.'

Ginny smiled broadly. "I know, I know. I should be a fashion designer." She looked down her at shoes. The mood in the room changed immediately. "Has child services called back?"

Clark sighed. "They said you could stay here for a few more days until they find a foster family." She nodded, still staring downwards. Clark put an arm around her shoulder. "You'll be ok."

Ginny looked up. "I know, it's just that… I was beginning to feel like I had a family again."

Clark new how she felt, it was going to be hard to say goodbye to her. Suddenly Ginny's fingers flew to her temple and she winced. "You ok?" She didn't answer but shook her head as if trying to get rid of a fly. Clark crouched down so they were eye level. "Ginny." He spoke louder than before. This time the girl lifted her head, the pain seemed to have lessened.

"It's just a headache." She said after a minute shrugging off his worries but still rubbing her temple.

"That looked pretty painful to be just a headache." Clark looked at the side of her head, it was red and there were nail marks from where she had dug her fingers in.

"I get them all the time."

"You said you got a headache before.." Clark stopped. "Ginny, is it going to happen again?" He gestured to the blue wrap that was still in place on her arm.

She looked frustrated. "I don't know, The only times I've ever gotten a headache were the first time it happened and then in the barn after I got the wrap."

Clark looked at the side of her head again. "Maybe we should see a doctor."

Ginny shook her head roughly, then winced. "No, you know what would happen to me if they found out what I can do. I would spend the rest of my life as a lab rat or in a detention cell."

Clark wasn't sure what to do, he was usually on the other end of this conversation.

She shook her head again. "I'm gonna go take a shower, see if it cools me off."

Clark nodded, still worried. Ginny seemed to notice. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. You have fun."

* * *

Clark stood in front of the mirror in the downstairs bathroom since the upstairs one was occupied. He could hear the running water that had been going for the last 15 minutes. Actually, he had to admit he didn't look half bad all dressed up. Clark adjusted the jacket and started to put on the Raybands. He stopped abruptly when he heard a yell from upstairs.

"Clark!"

Clark dropped the glasses and ran towards the stairs to see Ginny at the top. She came barreling down the steps wrapped in a towel, dripping wet. "They found me! They're here."

"Who found you?" Clark's adrenaline was rising. He heard police sirens coming down the Kent drive.


	4. Chapter 4

Ginny started to panic. "How did they find me? Clark it wasn't my fault, tell them!"

"Ginny calm-"

"I can't be here, I have to go. Help me Clark!" Ginny looked at him with panic stricken eyes, pleading with him.

The sirens were coming closer.

"Up here." Clark gestured her up the stairs. "Hide in my room, find someplace out of sight." There was a knock at the door. Clark watched Ginny scrambled up the steps. There was another knock.

Clark arranged a confused look on his face as he jogged down the hallway and opened the door. " Hello officer." He hoped his tone said "what's going on? I know nothing." and not "I know exactly why you're here, there's a murderer in my room."

The man in front of him looked like he should be a general in the army. He had a buzz cut and a prominent chin, though he was at least a foot shorter than Clark. "Son, we understand that your family is fostering Ginny Bristol?"

"Yes sir, what's wrong?"

"Where is the girl?" The officer asked as though Clark had not spoken.

"She's.." Clark thought fast. "at the school dance. Halloween you know."

The officer looked as though he didn't believe Clark's story. "Son, we need to look around."

"Of course." Clark said, but he stretched his hands to either side of the wood paneled door to block the entrance. "If you have a warrant."

The officer looked him up and down, sizing up this boy who had the audacity to stand up to him. "We'll be back." was all he said as he stepped off the porch, followed by the half a dozen other policemen that were standing behind him. Clark heard him on his radio, sending officers over to Smallville High.

Once Clark could no longer see the cars he bolted upstairs.

"Ginny, they're gone." Clark opened the door to his room looking around.

Ginny's head popped out of Clark's closet. She came out, still in a towel. "They'll be back with a warrant. Clark what am I going to do?"

Clark shook his head trying to think. "You can't stay here. We have to go."

"What about the ship?"

Clark hadn't even thought about that. The police would find it.

"You get dressed, put all your stuff into your backpack. I'll hide the ship."

* * *

Clark slid into the drivers seat as Ginny scrambled into the passengers side putting her backpack down at her feet and sliding on her brace. He slammed his door and started the engine, pulling out of the Kent's driveway and turning right.

"Where are we going?" Ginny was breathing fast like she had just run a marathon.

Clark didn't answer right away. He hadn't thought that far yet, where would they go and for how long? She was in danger and so was he as long as he was with her. Anyone else involved would be in trouble too.

Ginny seemed to be thinking the same thing. "I can't go to anyone's house."

Clark took a left down a narrow rode. How long would she have to run for? Right turn. How much would he be able to help? Right again. How did the police know it was her? Left . Could they really convict her for being forced? Another right. Would the believe her story? Left. If they did she would surely be locked up, categorized as dangerous. They were heading down a dirt road with fields of untended grass on either side when Clark slowed the truck to a stop. He took off his blazer and sat back in the driver's seat and exhaled. No sooner had he opened his mouth to speak his cell phone rang. Clark looked at the number, it was Chloe. Clark flipped the phone open. "Hello?"

"Clark, the police showed up at the dance, they're looking for Ginny. What's going on?" She sounded worried.

Clark talked fast. "I'll explain later, just keep them busy."

"Does this have to do with-"

"Chloe please!" His voice was urgent.

"Alright. Ill do it."

"Call me when they leave."

"Alright." Chloe repeated. Clark hung up the phone.

"What am I supposed to do Clark?" Ginny's eyes were wide with panic.

"Ok, first I need to call my parents. Then we'll figure something out, I promise."

Clark stepped out of the car and dialed his parents cell number. They had gone to Metropolis for the day. When he was done Clark flipped his cell phone closed. "Alright, my parents know about the police, they'll make up a story."

"Can they think of anywhere I can go?" Ginny was still in a state of panic.

Clark shook his head. "They think I should take you to Metropolis and stay there for a few days." He got back in the car.

"The police will find me eventually. I just want to end this completely. " Ginny sat back against her chair and leaned her head on the head rest. "I need to go back to Cadmus labs."

"No." Clark said at once. "They are probably already looking for you there, it would be nearly impossible to get in."

"Cortes found a way to control me there. Maybe we can find the files or an antibiotic, or something.

I can't take this anymore. I want to be a regular kid. If there was a chance that you could be just ordinary wouldn't you take it?"

Clark paused. He would give anything. He nodded and reached for the key, but he couldn't help feeling that going to Cadmus labs was like going into the lions den.

Clark turned the key and the truck's engine sprang to life. He pressed on the gas and they sped off down the road, leaving dust behind to float up to the rapidly darkening sky.

* * *

Clark and Ginny crouched outside of the fence, staring at Cadmus labs. It was completely dark now and Ginny had started to shiver. There were about a dozen guards and police officers altogether patrolling the outside of the building. The police obviously thought Ginny might turn up here. "How did you get in before?" Clark whispered

"I have Cortes' cardkey." Ginny rummaged through the backpack that was sitting beside her. She pulled out a blue card with a picture of an elderly man on it.

"Alright, let's go." They waited until one of the guards passed by then Clark tore a hole in the metal fencing. Ginny sidled in and Clark followed. Together ran behind a big van with the Cadmus logo on it and crouched. They waited for two more guards to pass and ran for the side door. Ginny slid the key through the lock, a green light blinked. She sighed with relief that it still worked and opened the door. Once inside Ginny led the way though a narrow, cement block hallway and down a flight of stairs. The lights on the ceiling cast a yellow glow on the walls. Security in the actually building seemed to be more lax but Clark still had to pull Ginny into a side room to keep her from being seen once or twice. "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"Positive. It's in a hidden area under the building." They ran down another flight of stairs and down another hall. They had to be three stories underground by now. At the end of this hall Ginny took a left and skid to a stop in front of a gray metal door that could only be two feet wide. She twisted the handle and pulled. It was locked. Clark took hold of the handle and pulled. The door came off it's hinges easily but the scraping metal made a loud noise and Clark could hear foot steps two floors up. Ginny quickly stepped through the door way onto another stairwell that was filled with an red glow. Clark stepped in behind her still holding the door. He put the door upright and melted the metal to the frame all the way around. It would at least slow down anyone who tried to follow them. Clark turned and followed Ginny down the wiry metal stairs, making a clanging noise every time he stepped. At the end of the stairs the cement ceiling gave way to pipes hanging above their heads. There where no lights here except for one emergency light at the end of the hallway which was filled with menacing looking mechanical objects and row upon row of light switches for every room in the building. Clark could hear Ginny more than see her in front of him, feeling her way down the hall. He saw her shadow turn left into a very thin crevasse between two rows of lights. He slid in after her, barely able to breath. A few steps in and they were at where the wall should be but there wasn't one. They just kept sidling in farther until Clark heard the click of a handle being turned and a door whooshing open. The walls on either side of him widened. From what he could tell they were standing in a small room. He squinted around in the dark.

"Ginny?" He could hear her rustling around the edge of the room and her ragged breaths. Clark heard a click and the room filled with green light. They were standing in a small square room with an examination table in the middle. One wall was covered with cabinets and a silver desk that stretched from one side to the other. There were no other ways out of the room besides the way they had just came. Ginny headed over to the cabinets and started pulling boxes of files out.

"Help me look through these." She had already started going through one of the boxes. Clark walked over next to her and started rifling through another box. There were files labeled by months starting at March and going all the way through August. The picked up the second to last one labeled July and opened it. There was a journal written by Cortes in it.

_I have devised an iron based serum that I think will control the girl's virus. It acts as an antidote until mixed with red meteor rock. The serum and rock together seem to induce the viruses deadly reaction. Half of the project is finished. Will test the serum tonight._

Clark picked up the last file and found another entry, from a month later.

_"The serum lays the virus dormant until I introduce trace amounts of meteor rock into her blood using an implant in her lower arm. The mixture must be precise or the implant will over load. The addition of the implant installed in my head gives me the power to trigger the reaction by thought. I have complete control over the virus. Note: Use of the implant causes disintegration. Must continue research."_

Ginny pushed aside the boxes she had been looking through and began opening the drawers in the desk. Clark shoved the July and August files back in the box and did the same. They searched all the drawers but found them empty. Ginny cried out in frustration. "There has to be something here!" Clark studied the desk again, this time seeing through the metal. There was a small safe behind the desk.

"It's behind the desk." Clark stepped forward and grasped the edge of the desk tightly and pulled it away from the wall to reveal a square safe drilled into the wall. Clark managed to get a finger in the crevasse between wall and safe and pulled until the metal bent. He could hear a popping sound from the lock as it broke and wrenched the safe open. The smooth metallic inside of the small box was empty.

"There's nothing there."

"No" Clark caught sight of something he had missed. A tiny glass vile filled with a silver-gray liquid was pushed into the back corner. Ginny took the bottle out delicately. There was barely enough in it for one gulp. "In the file I read the last entry said that he found an antidote for the virus. That along with an implant in his head let him control your power-or rather, the virus. The serum is iron based."

Ginny stared at the tiny bottle then looked back at Clark. "It'll be gone forever?" Clark nodded. There was a crash outside the room and yelling. Someone was getting close. Ginny took a deep breath and pulled the top from the glass vile hurriedly and raised it to her mouth. She swallowed the contents in one gulp. She gagged. "It feels like I swallowed a metal pole." She gasped. Then she let out a scream of pain and looked down at her arm, she clutched at her wrist and sank to the floor.

"Ginny!" Clark rushed to kneel beside her. He looked in horror as her arm started to glow under the brace.

Ginny looked up, her eyes were red and brimming with tears. " The serum was supposed to stop it!"

Clark thought quickly. "This is a virus right? Maybe it has to get worse before it can get better."

"But I don't want to hurt you." Ginny whispered through clenched teeth.

"You won't." Clark promised. He hoped he was right. Ginny 's scared eyes stayed on Clark for a second, sweat beaded on her forehead. A second later her body sagged as she stopped resisting, but her head whip lashed to face the ceiling, and Ginny's right arm rose into the air as if on it's own accord. A beat of blinding green light penetrated from her wrist and Clark shielded his eyes against the light. Clark suddenly felt as though he had lost control of his body and he was lifted from the ground and thrown back against the wall on the far side of the room. Dust clouded Clark's vision as the wall cracked. A second beat radiated from her wrist and Clark heard the crash of the metal and grunts from the other side of the door leading out of the room. Then, as soon as the light had come, it vanished. Clark coughed and waved a hand in front of his face to clear the dust. Ginny lay slumped, unconscious on the floor. Clark stumbled up and rushed to the girl.

"Ginny?" He leaned over her face and felt a light breath on his cheek. "Ginny?" The girl made no movement, she was out cold. Clark gently picked her up. Ginny's arm dangled lifelessly at her side. The empty glass bottle slipped from her fingers and shattered on the ground. The floor was littered with dust and rather large pieces of cement. Clark made his way through the rubble to the door. Holding Ginny it was nearly impossible to get through the small parting in the walls. He had to lift her above his head but even so, the lines of metal boxes cracked and bent on either side of him as he slid through. As Clark reached the end he stumbled over something lying on the ground. He barely caught Ginny before she fell. Clark looked back to see what he had tripped over and found that it was two something's. Two men, one in a police uniform, the other in the Cadmus labs guard suit. There was no blood but it was apparent the men were dead. Both their eyes were still open, shock was still plastered on their faces. Clark clenched his teeth and looked away and hugged Ginny tighter. He would never tell her about those men.

Ginny coughed. Clark tried to clear his head. He walked back down the hall and up the flight of metal stairs. As he reached the top he could hear sirens blaring. Clark pushed through the broken down doorway at the top of the steps and super-sped away, dodging the many officers coming down the stairs. He didn't stop until they were over the fence and to the truck which was parked a good half mile away. He sat her down on the passengers side and brushed the dust from her face. Clark's cell phone rang. He flipped it open.

"The police just left the high school, I think they were called to somewhere else." I bet they were, Clark thought to himself. "They IDed the fingerprints on the knife to Ginny. She's charged with murder and the body of Cortes was stolen a few days ago, they think she did it."

"How would a fourteen year old girl steal a body?" Clark said, his temper rising.

"I know." Chloe said soothingly. "It's a high tech operation, it's not easy to make a body disappear without anyone noticing. This has Luthor written all over it."

Another step down the road to becoming exactly like his father. Clarks heart sank in disappointment and disbelief.

"Alright, Chloe I've got to go, I'll give you an update tomorrow." He flipped his cell phone closed. "Ginny?" Clark said for a third time. She coughed again and opened her eyes slowly as if there were weights holding them down.

"What happened?" Her voice was groggy. "I feel like I swallowed a gallon of dirt."

"It's ok. We're out of there."

Ginny furrowed her brow and croaked, "I remember feeling really sick and then a green light." She touched her right palm. "Did it….?"

"Yeah, it was like a bomb had gone off." Clark pictured the two men on the floor.

"Did I hurt you?"

Clark shook his head.

"Did I hurt anyone else?"

Clark hesitated. "No." he lied.

Ginny let out a breath and sat back in the seat. "But it didn't work. The virus got worse."

"We don't know that. It worked for Cortes."

"It never went away, he could just control it."

"In the file I read, he said the serum lay the virus dormant until red kryptonite was introduced. There's an implant in your arm that let it into your blood. Without Cortes to control the implant, the serum should act as an antidote."

"If I already had the serum in me, and Cortes was dead then why was I still having problems?"

Clark suddenly remembered something. "Chloe! She said the doctors found a chip in Cortes' head. They must have set something off while they were tampering with it."

"So this was all for nothing? We could have just destroyed the implant and be done with it!"

"It wasn't for nothing. The mixture of serum and kryptonite was a very delicate balance, the added serum in you're system must've fried the implant. That's why the reaction happened, kind of like an explosion."

"So, it's gone?"

"Not gone, just dormant. Hopefully for forever. We'll have to wait and see." At that moment Clark's cell phone rang again. He looked at the caller ID and found it was his father calling. Clark's dad had told the police that Ginny had went to visit some friends in a town far down south, but to be careful because they are probably still watching the house. Clark flipped the phone closed and relayed the information to Ginny. "We should leave the car here and pick it up later. How are you feeling?"

"Better, kind of dizzy though."

"We should get back home." Clark gently picked the girl up once again: she felt like a feather but so did most things, and super-sped off in the direction of the Kent farm. He didn't stop until they were safely in the kitchen.

"Wow. Talk about fast." Ginny looked at Clark in aw.

Martha Kent took one look at the two teenagers standing her kitchen covered in dust and her eyes went wide in alarm. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine. Ginny needs to lie down though." Clark set her down and led her over to the couch.

Jonathan spoke when Clark had turned back to them. "You want to tell us what's going on? Why was the entire police department searching our house looking for Ginny?"

"It's kind of a long story." Clark said with a glance at Ginny. He had promised he wouldn't tell. Ginny looked unsure, but nodded. "Do you remember that murder over in Granville?"

Jonathan nodded. "A man was stabbed in the head." Ginny winced.

"Well," Clark glanced at Ginny once more. "That man's name was Evan Cortes, he used to work at Cadmus Labs. He was working on a project that gave people the ability to kill without a trace. The project was Ginny, she's meteor infected. She had come to him for help but instead he got control of it."

Jonathan and Martha were quiet for a moment. "So, Ginny killed Cortes. In the shop." Martha started.

"He was hurting her."

"That doesn't make it right Clark." Jonathan switched his gaze from Clark to Ginny.

"He was using me to kill people." They all looked around at Ginny who was close to tears. "I had to stop him." Neither Jonathan or Martha said anything.

"Dad, we need to find a place for her to go, she can't stay here, the police will be back and they'll never believe she wasn't acting on her own."

"We don't have the power to make her disappear."

"I know someone who does." Clark knew from the moment he said it his father would shake his head like he was doing now.

"No, we have been through this before, I do not want to be in Lex Luthors debt."

"Then Ginny will go to jail. Dad, please."

Martha put her hand on her husband's shoulder and they exchanged looks. Jonathan sighed. "Go." Martha said with a nod.

* * *

Clark pushed open the giant doors to the study in the Luthor mansion. "Lex?"

Lex Luthor was sitting behind his desk, studying the computer. He looked up at the sound of Clarks voice and smiled. "Clark, to what do I owe this very late pleasure?"

Clark strode farther into the room. "I need your help. One of my friends is in trouble and they need to disappear."

"What kind of trouble?" Lex closed his laptop and swiveled his chair around.

Clark paused. He couldn't see a way around telling Lex. "She could go to jail."

Lex smirked a little and got out of his chair. "I'm sorry Clark, I can't undermine the justice system." He strolled out from behind his desk with his hands in his pockets.

"You own Cadmus Labs don't you?" The words came out of his mouth before he had time to think about them.

"Yeah, we are using it to experiment with different fertilizers." Lex said lazily.

"You're using it for other experiments too, and my friend was caught in the middle of it."

"Clark I don't know what you're talking about. Cadmus is strictly-"

"Do you know a man named Evan Cortes?" Clark interrupted. Lex was silent which answered Clark's question.

" Clark, I assure you-"

Clark cut across him again. "He was experimenting on a 14 year old girl when he went insane and started killing people. Now that girl is in trouble and you have a responsibility to help her." He held Lex's gaze with determination

"Evan Cortes quit the project months ago, I had no idea." Lex turned back to his desk and picked up the phone. "Of course I'll help. I can have my security pick her up in the morning and take her some place safe. It'll be like she had never been in Smallville."

"Thanks." Several questions sprung forth in Clarks mind and even though he had half a mind to keep them shut away, he opened his mouth. "Why were you experimenting with ways to kill people?"

Lex looked up from the phone he had been dialing a number on. "The military is always looking for the something bigger and better. There's a lot of money involved in the weapons business."

Clark's eyebrows came together. He couldn't tell if Lex was lying or not. "Is it worth hurting people in the process?"

"That's a decision I have to make everyday. In this case I thought the project was secure."

"But people died Lex. And more people are going to die if you keep going down this road." Clark could tell that he had crossed over an invisible line.

"Thank you for the advice Clark, but I know what I'm doing." He looked down at the phone and redialed the number. "I'll keep the police away from your house. Have the girl ready early tomorrow."

Clark nodded, not wanting to push his luck. He turned and headed back out the big stained glass doors.


	5. If you heartbeats

**This is the chapter I've worked the hardest on. The full chapter title is 'If your heartbeats like mine, you're human' but i thought that might be a smidge too long. Enjoy! Awardwinningsmile**

Clark stared out of the big loft window in the barn. It was extremely late but he hadn't wanted to go inside after he got back from the mansion. It was going to be hard to see Ginny go. She wouldn't have to if it wasn't for Lex. He was experiment on people. Maybe Clark's dad was right about him. He sighed and stuck his head farther out the window so he could feel the light breeze that had been playing all night.

"I thought for sure you wouldn't let me down again."

Clark whipped his head around and found that he was about ten feet away from Lana. She looked extremely pretty in a lacey, crème colored dress with no sleeves and a swooping neck line. In her hand was what looked like a very dressy witches hat. The Dance.

Lana saw him look her over. "I was the good witch from Wizard of Oz."

Clark felt the familiar sinking sensation in his stomach. He could not believe he had done this to her again. He had forgotten all about the dance when the police had shown up. He hadn't even called. Clark saw the hurt and frustration on Lana's face and his heart sank too.

"You always do this to me."

"Lana, I'm sorry." There was no way those words were enough but what else could he tell her.

"I didn't come here for an apology Clark, I came to hear the reason for why you weren't there." Her face seemed almost like stone. Like he could reach out and break it with his next words. He couldn't lie to her anymore.

"Ginny was in some trouble. I couldn't leave her."

Lana's face softened. "What happened?"

Dead end. He couldn't tell her about Ginny. He wouldn't risk her safety even more. And it didn't matter that no false scenarios came to his mind because he knew they would never make it out of his mouth. So he just stood there. Silent. As a result Lana's face hardened again just like he knew it would.

"I can't do this anymore Clark. It's like you have two personalities. The things you do, and the things you say you'll do but never actually get to." She seemed to deflate a little. "I'm tired of waiting around for you to be honest. I figured that if I got close to you, someday you would trust me. But it's like there's a brick wall around your heart."

"I do trust you. It's just-"

"Either you trust me or you don't Clark, there's no in-between."

"It's too dangerous." Clark said very quietly, half hoping she wouldn't hear.

"Dangerous?" Her voice was rising opposite of Clark's. "What could be so dangerous about letting me get close?" She looked at him incredulously.

She didn't understand. She would never look at him the same. Who would after finding out their friend is from another planet? Clark faced his palms toward her as if to show their emptiness. "I can't."

Lana's eyes clouded but her face was resolved to anger. "You sure can't." She said quietly. The words were so cold that a shiver ran up Clark's spine. Without another word she spun around and descended stiffly down the dusty steps and out of the barn.

Clark didn't move until he could no longer hear the sound of her car. He walked to the edge of the stairs and sat down on the first step. There was no sound in the barn at all. The cows were out in the field and the machines had been turned off hours ago. Clarks stomach had not relinquished the knots it had tied together while Lana was talking. His heart was beating fast. This was it. This was the end. He had always known it would come eventually. How could it not with all the secrets tucked in the seam of their relationship. But he still wasn't ready. Clark thought back to the first time he had seen Lana when her family moved in next door and she got out of the minivan. _"Is that an angel?"_ He had asked his mom. Lana had always been right next door. _I can't lose her._ Sudden determination sprung in his heart. He had not lied tonight. He did trust Lana, she would never betray his secret. But would she except him? Did that really matter now? He had already lost her, he had nothing to lose by telling her now. Hope gathered inside him as he thought about sharing his secret with her and having her embrace him. They could be happy. Clark had gotten halfway off the step before he stopped himself in a half seated position. _Too Dangerous._ Lana could get seriously hurt if she knew his secret. He sat back down. He couldn't always be there to protect her. Clark's stomach tightened even more as he imagined Lana in the hospital, maybe even dead. No, he would not be the reason she was put in danger. He would have to let her go. No matter how he felt.

* * *

"You ready?" Clark looked over at the red head beside him. Ginny picked Clark's old backpack off the gravel and swung it over her shoulder as the black van came to a halt. Ginny took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She nodded but didn't step forward. Clark could tell she was nervous. "Lex found a good family for you in Colorado. He says they have always wanted a daughter." 

"Do they know about what happened up here?" Ginny watched as two men in black suits stepped out of the van.

"No. They just know they are about to be parents."

"What if things don't work out." She looked up at Clark, she was scared.

"You can call me anytime and I can be there in a flash." Clark smiled.

"I'm going to miss you Clark. It's a shame your parents didn't have another kid. You'd be one heck of the brother."

"You're not so bad yourself." Clark messed with her hair and reached down and hugged the small girl. When he let go Martha and Jonathan came up from where they were standing on the porch.

"We're going to miss you Ginny." Martha said wiping a smudge off Ginny's face.

"Look after yourself." Jonathan came and stood next to his wife.

"I will. Bye." She turned stepped hesitantly into the waiting open door of the van. Clarks parents headed for the porch. Just as the van was about to leave and back window rolled down and Ginny stuck her face out.

"Clark. Tell her." She raised her eyebrows at him in a 'you better do it' way. "She'll understand." Ginny tapped her temple. "I know things." She waved again and rolled up the window. Clark watched until the car reached the end of the drive way. He raised his hand and waved one last time then turned to go back inside.

Clark brought the truck to a stop in front of Smallville stables. He had checked the Talon, her aunts house, this was last place Clark could think of that Lana might be. He opened the door and stepped onto the wet ground. It had been raining on and off all day. He stepped inside the barn just as it started to drizzle again. There she was. Her hair was damp from the rain. She had obviously just finished riding and was closing the stall door. She turned and looked in surprise to see him standing there. "What are you doing here?" Her words were guarded.

"Looking for a chance." Clark stepped farther in the barn. Thunder sounded outside.

"You've had enough chances." She moved to walk away.

"I know." He said quickly as if his words could keep her in place. He stood at the same stall of a chestnut mare that Lana was at. "I wasn't lying last night when I said it was dangerous." He looked down at the chipping wood of the stall door and picked at it. "There are some things about me that if you knew, you could get hurt." Clark looked up at her for the first time. "But it's not fair for me to make that decision for you."

"I never cared if there was danger I just wanted you to trust me." She spoke quietly.

"I do trust you. Just know that I kept this from you because I didn't want to lose you." Ten thousand different scenarios of how this day would end rushed into Clark's head. But he bit them back, closed his mind and willed himself to just do it. "Do you trust me?" He held out his hand.

Lana's face was serious but she didn't hesitate. She took his hand. "Always." Clark scooped her up in his arms and with one final glance super-sped away. In a flash they were standing beside the old windmill they had been to so many times. Lana looked around and gasped. "How did you-?" Lines creased her forehead. "You're meteor infected aren't you?" Clark shook his head. Little droplets of water fell from his hair, it was raining steadily now. He set Lana down.

"No. If it wasn't for me the meteor shower wouldn't have even happened." Clark took a deep breath and plunged into the explanation he had run through so many times in his mind. "I'm not from around here. I'm from a planet called Krypton. My parents sent me away to save me when the planet was destroyed. I'm the only one left." He could see the wheel turning in her head and imagined what she was thinking. Everything was becoming much clearer, all the close saves, all the quick exits. It would be a testament to their friendship if she even believed him and not thought he was insane.

"You're not human." The creases on her forehead deepened.

"My dad says that being human isn't about where you came from. Lana, I'm just as human as you." She continued to look him up and down. "I was afraid to tell you because I knew you'd never look at me the same." Lana reached up and touch his cheek, following the angles of his face. She let her hand trail down his neck and over his chest where she stopped, feeling his heart beat. She looked back up at him.

"You look like the same Clark Kent to me. No matter where you come from." The whole world seemed to expand. She was unbelievable. She was still standing here with him and she was looking at him differently but it was by no means a bad thing. A smile broke onto Lana's face and Clark followed suit. He felt like he could fly. Lana flung her arms around his neck and Clark had no intention on ever letting her go. She leaned back so he could see her face. He picked her up once more, and without looking away from her eyes, launched Lana and himself to the top of the wind mill. The rain was still coming down steadily but if it was loud or unpleasant neither one of them noticed and Lana showed no signs of worry. Clark bent his head and his lips met hers. All the years he had spent fighting a never ending battle inside himself was all for nothing. In the actual moment it didn't matter. And as he held Lana close he could not think of anything he would have done differently if in the end he would be here with her. Clark smile against her mouth. Although it wasn't really the end, it was the beginning.


End file.
